In recent months, it’s sometimes felt like the Slipknot roster’s been a revolving door, with members leaving and being replaced left and right. Hell, we still don’t really know who replaced Craig “133” Jones. So when founding percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan was missing as the iconic band showed up to Sonic Temple over the weekend, some fans would be right to start wondering exactly what was going on. As it turns out, Crahan’s absence is entirely temporary and the result of a medical issue. During the show, frontman Corey Taylor addressed the absence, revealing that an unexpected dental iss ..read more

Artificial intelligence, or AI, has become a hot button issue relatedly, particularly the use of AI to create art. Many people consider AI art to be unethical because it learns from the hard work of real artists and then replaces them. AI art hasn’t really made a foothold into the world of music yet—aside from bands like Pestilence trying to use AI for their album artwork and then doubling down on its use — but there’s a lot of potential for AI to be used to replace human musicians. In a recent interview with Elena Rosberg of Radiocast BG, Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill was asked about the pot ..read more

If you’re a fan of Crack The Skye-era Mastodon but wish it had zero vocals, then this trak from New York-based progressive metal outfit Paragnosis is exactly what you’re looking for. Released ahead of the trio’s sophomore self-titled EP, “Zodiac Wheel” is nearly five minutes of spacey, layered instrumental goodness. Comprised of life-long friends guitarist Christian Realmuto and drummer Moïse Scott, and rounded out by bassist Tom Salyer, Paragnosis has the kind of rhythmic knowledge and melodic attack that makes it feel like the very act of listening takes you on a journey. Moving amongst eac ..read more

Following the heartbreaking death of founding Staind drummer Jon Wysocki on Saturday at the age of 53 due to complications with his liver, the late drummer’s former bands SOiL and Lydia’s Castle posted tributes to Wysocki, although Lydia’s Castle’s statement was short and promised a longer tribute would be coming later. Staind took a little bit longer to collect their thoughts on the passing of their old friend, but they have now posted tributes to Wysocki on social media. On the official Staind Twitter account, the band posted the following: “We first met Jon through mutual friends in 1994 ..read more

Guitar wizard and Intervals mastermind Aaron Marshall is our guest on this week’s MetalSucks Podcast! We discuss their new album Memory Palace out right now! During out chat, we also tackle the guest performances on the new record, how improvising works in the band when it comes to  studio and live performances, and he attempts to breakdown what makes a prog metal instrumental ballad work. Marshall also shares some of the team building exercises he and his crew use on the road and the surreal moment on their recent tour with Mammoth WVH involving a recipe for bread. Petar and Brandon dis ..read more

German thrash metal heroes Kreator recently revealed that, if you’re waiting for the follow up to their 2022 album Hate Über Alles, you shouldn’t hold your breath because it’s going to be a while. Back in December, frontman Millie Petrozza revealed in an Instagram post that the band would be focused on touring for 2024 and probably wouldn’t enter the studio until at least early 2025. Well, that timetable seems to have been pushed back a little farther as Petrozza confirmed, in a recent interview with Jorge Botas of Portuguese podcast Metal Global, that he doesn’t expect the next album to be o ..read more

Founding drummer of Massachusetts-based post-grunge, nü-metal band Staind, Jon Wysocki, sadly died on Saturday, May 18 at 53 years old. According to Blabbermouth.net, Wysocki had been struggling with liver issues and had been seeking treatment for it for some time. We extend our deepest condolences to Wysocki’s friends, family, fans, and former bandmates. According to Staind’s official website, the band was formed in 1993 when vocalist Aaron Lewis met guitarist Mike Mushok at a Christmas party, and it was Mushok who brought Wysocki into the band. Wysocki was with the band until he departed ar ..read more

We’ve got a little update to The MetalSucks Playlist this week, with just a handful of tracks making the cut. That’s not to say the inclusions aren’t worthy of a listen, though. I mean, any playlist stuffed full of 50 killer tracks curated by a site like MetalSucks is worth a listen and a follow. This time of year’s always exciting, as new albums have begun basically falling from the sky. We’ve got so many exciting things coming up in the coming weeks, so be sure to keep an eye on this playlist, regardless of whether you use Spotify or Apple Music. There are going to be some absolute bangers ..read more

Singer, songwriter, producer, rapper, transphobic bigot, convicted felon, and all around toolbag Ronnie Radke and his band Falling in Reverse are back in the news again after their appearance at the 2024 Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival on Friday. The first reason is because, as Lambgoat reports, the band had to stop their set on Friday night multiple times because they managed to burn themselves with their own pyrotechnics display. Rock Feed posted a video to their Twitter account with the band members apologizing for the multiple stoppages while nursing their burns with bandages and ic ..read more

There is only one inevitability in this life, and that is change. Things are constantly evolving, from technology to societal norms, and especially music. There’s always something new on the horizon, some forward-thinking visionary who has grown bored of the status quo and wants to shake things up somehow. But then on the other side of the coin, this also means that there is a massive, highly profitable market for nostalgia, and tons of bands have been tapping into this market for the past decade or so. As such, for better or worse, we have found ourselves living in what can only be described ..read more